Christmas Eve Papers: Liverpool close ranks behind Suarez

FIND out what top sport stories are making the headlines in today’s Christmas Eve UK newspapers - Saturday, December 24, 2011.

DAILY TELEGRAPH: Kenny Dalglish has called on the Football Association to protect Luis Suarez from the “antagonism” of opposing supporters. Also: Chelsea are attempting to sign Juventus’s Milos Krasic in the January transfer window as a replacement for Nicolas Anelka.

THE INDEPENDENT: The Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish declared last night that football required specific guidelines about what language was considered racist, at the end of a week in which his striker Luis Suarez has been dealt an eight-game ban and his former team-mate Alan Hansen has been engulfed in controversy over his use of the word “coloured”. Also: Ayegbeni Yakubu has admitted that the toxic atmosphere at Ewood Park is affecting the Blackburn players.

THE GUARDIAN: Sir Alex Ferguson has broken his silence on the Luis Suarez affair, describing the Liverpool striker’s eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra as “the right decision” and indicating that the Anfield club should accept the guilty verdict. Also: Arsene Wenger will prioritise a loan move for a left-back in January, after Kieran Gibbs underwent a second groin operation, and the Arsenal manager also admitted he would decide over the next week whether to offer a short-term contract to the club legend Thierry Henry.

THE TIMES: Sir Alex Ferguson insisted yesterday that the Football Association was right to ban Luis Suarez for eight matches for racially abusing Patrice Evra. Also: Adam Johnson believes that Manchester City’s squad is so strong that it would be “hard not to win games”.

THE SUN: Chelsea have snubbed captain John Terry by crushing his hopes of a public show of support from team-mates. Also: Kenny Dalglish fears Luis Suarez is set to run a nationwide gauntlet of hate.

DAILY STAR: Arsenal are on the verge of clinching the loan signing of Thierry Henry. Also: Gary Cahill is on the brink of completing his £7m move to Chelsea, according to Bolton boss Owen Coyle.

DAILY MAIL: A gang tried to break into John Terry’s home while the Chelsea captain was away playing in Thursday night’s Barclays Premier League game against Tottenham. Also: Wayne Bridge has hit back at his Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini after deciding it was time to defend his own professional reputation.

DAILY EXPRESS: Owen Coyle is prepared to let Gary Cahill join Chelsea on January 1 after confirming talks are ongoing. Also: England have scrapped next month’s pre-Six Nations training camp in Portugal and decided to head to the north of England instead in a back-to-basics response to the humiliation of the World Cup.